Alice and Peter
by Faithtrustandpixiedustt
Summary: When a young girl named Alice meets a mysterious levitating boy named Peter Pan, will she make the choice to stay with him and the Lost Boys in Neverland forever, or return to her home and decide to grow up- the one thing that she fears most?
1. Alice

_Part One: Alice_

Across the star-smattered horizon, where the breeze is cool and refreshing, there sat a small, elegant figure perched on a flat rock in the twilight. Her blonde hair was paler in the heavy dusk, and her forget-me-not-blue eyes held the light of the stars in them, preserving every precious bit. The girl slid her feet out of her shoes, sighing faintly, and plucked a rose from the grass, twirling it slightly between her fingers before setting it afloat in the pond. Ripples spread rapidly across its glassy surface, eventually buffeting the long grass on the other side before slowing into nothing.

"Oh, I wish that I could be this way all the time and forever." She said softly to herself, her tone wistful.

"ALICE?!"

A voice suddenly pierced the serene atmosphere like a dagger.

"Alice Pleasence Liddel, you get inside this instant!"

"Coming, mother." Alice sighed, her small form a dark silhouette against the vivid sky as she stood up and trudged inside. The excited light in her eyes was quenched, just like that.

Alice was twelve years old, a pretty girl with her thick blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. Her mother, a kind yet strict woman, only wanted the best for Alice, which is why she forbode her daughter from going out into the night to go stargazing. Alice used to sing wonderful, melodic songs about the sky at night when she was still allowed to see it. However, the day that her mother stopped allowing her, something in poor Alice broke, and she stopped singing.

Why did Alice love to sing under the twinkling stars? Well, they quite simply reminded her of the gorgeous, expansive sky in Wonderland that she had seen so long ago.

Wonderland. The land that had held a special place in Alice's heart since her first and only visit five long years ago. Alice's sharp memory had taken in every moment of her time in Wonderland, from the hatter ridiculing her about being impolite, to the white rabbit with his pocket watch, and stored it somewhere special within her where she wouldn't- _couldn't _ever forget.

Unbeknownst to Alice, she wasn't alone those days when she sang her tunes of sheer bliss. Usually she had an audience in the form of one levitating boy. But of course, the girl didn't find out until quite a while later, or else there would be no story at all!

Alice reluctantly walked inside, her head hanging. She peered at her mother's face tentatively from beneath her eyelashes, then glanced down at her feet again.

"Alice, Alice." Her mother chided. "You must learn to be a proper lady. The time will soon come when you will have to leave _this-_" Alice's mother gestured around them," –and become a woman who takes care of herself! Goodness, Alice, if I allowed you to stay up all night just to stare at a few fickle _stars_, then you would be terribly drowsy all day!"

Alice frowned and began to object," Oh, but mother, I wouldn't be up _all_ of the night-!" but her mother cut her short once again.

"Dear Alice, you're going to have to learn to… grow up."

Alice's eyes shone with the tears that she was trying to restrain. "But I'm only twelve! Oh, I wish that I didn't have to grow up!" She exclaimed passionately, falling back onto the sofa. She buried her face in the worn fabric as a single tear slid down her face and plopped onto the soft sofa cushion.

"Well, you do." Alice's mother said firmly, nudging her daughter into a sitting position. "Now, I'll make you some warm chamomile tea, and you can forget all about this dreadful mess."

As Alice's mother disappeared behind the kitchen door, Alice stood and hobbled to her room, her eyes beginning to overflow. She flicked her light switch out, closed the door behind her, and padded over to the window seat.

"I don't want to grow up." She said stubbornly, thrusting open the window and sitting down. The breeze cooled her face, and out of habit, Alice began to do something that she had nearly forgotten.

Alice sang for the first time in years.

"Oh, sky, tell me your secrets-"

A faint rustling could be heard, and then a slight clatter, as if someone was lighting on the roof.

"Of freedom and beauty-"

A slender, shadowy figure pressed itself to the wall, just outside her window.

"Oh, sky, tell me your secrets-"

Alice's eyes were becoming alight again with the long-forgotten happiness of singing.

"How I wish to be joyful and free!" she finished, her voice soaring, just loudly enough that the figure outside of the window could hear.

Suddenly, a boy with reddish-brown hair wearing an elegant hat with a red feather tucked into the brim peeked over the window, his warm brown eyes meeting her blue ones.

"OH!" Alice exclaimed in shock, falling off of the window seat. The one thing that the boy wasn't perceptive enough to notice as his eyes scanned her face was the delight in her voice.

"I'm Peter! Peter Pan!" the boy proclaimed in a self-important manner, sitting cross-legged on Alice's windowsill. He took off his hat and bowed elegantly to her. "I'm sorry that I scared you."

Alice curtsied back to the boy with equal elegance, standing. "I'm Alice, but you may know that already."

"I listen to you sing sometimes when Tink and I 're visiting the Mainland." he said matter-of-factly, flipping to float upside-down, his face a few inches from hers.

"You listen to me _sing_?" Alice asked, coloring slightly. She fiddled with her hair self-consciously and then inquired," Why are you floating, Peter?"

It was just then that Peter realized that Alice wasn't reacting in horror or shock to his unnatural ability. A bit unnerved, he replied," All you need is faith, trust, and... pixie dust!"

"Oh, can I fly?" Alice breathed, her eyes glowing with delight.

"Sure you can!" Peter exclaimed, plucking a tiny, shimmering insect from the air and sprinkling Alice with fine, golden dust.

"Oh!" Alice cried as she began to hover. She clutched Peter's hand, convinced that she would fall.

Peter laughed at Alice's surprise. "You won't fall." he said confidently. "It's easy!" Peter flew a rapid circle in the air, forgetting that Alice was still holding onto his hand. Alice, shrieking in glee, exclaimed," Flying's so wonderful, Peter! I don't know how I could live this long without experiencing it!"

"ALICE?" a voice called.

"Peter, hide!" Alice hissed, promptly sitting back down on the window seat. Peter, hearing the telltale thump of an adult's feet on the stairs, dove out the window and pressed himself flat against the wall outside. He lowered Alice's window silently and quickly, knowing that her mother would surely reprimand her if it were left open.

"Alice, here's your tea." her mother said wearily. "Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight." Alice whispered as her mother departed, the mug of tea untouched in her hand. She slid open her window and peered around, probing the night sky with her eyes.

"Peter?" Alice whispered, afraid that the flying boy had left without saying goodbye.

"Alice?" Peter imitated her, hanging upside down by the window beam.

Startled, Alice nearly dropped her tea.

"Peter, you'll come back tomorrow, won't you?" Alice asked, sitting up on the window seat.

"Of course!" Peter grinned. He pulled an acorn out of his pocket. "Here, take this."

"An... acorn?" Alice asked, confused.

"A kiss." Peter corrected.

Alice was about to blush when she realized that he probably didn't know what a kiss _was._

"Oh, er, thank you." Alice said, not sure how to react. "Here, take this... kiss." She pulled a silver thimble out of her dress pocket and placed it in his palm. It glimmered in the dim light.

"Bye, Alice." Peter said, grinning as he flew out the window.

"Goodbye, Peter." Alice said, her heart melting a bit for some reason.

Alice didn't close the window, though. She just stared at the stars and thought: _Adventure._


	2. Peter's Return

_Part Two: Peter's Return_

Alice was dreadfully bored.

She was lying underneath the weeping willow, translating a French play into English.

"How dare you lay hand on this poor soul." She read in a bored, monotone voice, transcribing it onto the sheet of paper. "For he has done nothing to harm you, dear sir. It is cruel to the utmost degree to-" The girl suddenly stopped reading as she a faint rustling from the heavy boughs of the willow tree above her.

Alice dropped her script and paper onto the moist grass and quickly scrambled up the tree, snagging her crimson pinafore on the jagged limbs as she went.

Once Alice reached the top, she peered around, looking for signs of Peter.

"Where are you?" she whispered, leaning against a thick bough. The girl sighed in a sudden disappointment that surprised even her. Alice leapt the rest of the way down and landed softly on the long grass. She let herself lie there for a moment, soaking in the warm sun on her face and arms before raising herself into a sitting position and continuing with her transcription.

Night came, and a blanket of midnight blue was draped over the sky. Stars twinkled hazily, as if they themselves were as tired as she. Alice stifled a yawn as she gazed out the window, looking for a sign of Peter.

"Hiya, Alice!" a voice suddenly exclaimed. Peter's voice.

He floated up to just outside window to be at her eye level.

"Do you want to try to fly somewhere besides your room?" Peter asked, a slight challenge in his voice.

"Why, of course!" Alice exclaimed, seemingly unfazed by his sudden appearence. "Can we start now?"

Peter grabbed a glowing thing from the air and sprinkled the same golden dust over Alice's head. It floated serenely over her, settling on her hair and pinafore.

"She's a fairy!" Alice suddenly breathed, indicating the so-called 'insect' in the palm of Peter's hand. "Oh, she's so gorgeous!"  
Tink, flattered by the compliment, floated over to Alice and chirped something into her ear.

Alice, confused, asked Peter," What does she mean by 'don't give Peter a thimble or I'll pull your hair out?'"

"Uh, nothing." Peter said, suddenly becoming very guarded. "Tink, why would you say that?" he admonished, shaking his head.

The fairy crossed her arms and lifted her nose slightly, turning away in a huffy manner. Peter, ignoring the fairy's unusual behavior, apologized quickly. "Sorry, Alice, she can get this way sometimes."  
This made Tink even huffier, and she flew off into the night sky, her little arms crossed.

"C'mon, we can't just leave all of the flying to her!" Peter exclaimed. He grabbed her hand as he ascended, Alice floated up with him, out the window, and into the balmy night air.

"Oh, Peter, look!" Alice exclaimed, spinning rapidly, yet neatly in the air, her hair flying.

Peter laughed. "Oh, that's nothing. Look at me!" He did a series of flips in the air, crowing loudly. "Oh, the cleverness of me!"  
"Oh, the cleverness of you." Alice grumbled, wrinkling her nose at his cockiness.

"Don't be upset, Alice!" Peter said, floating up to her eye level. "Hey, I have an idea! Have you ever danced before?"  
Alice's eyes widened. Did she dance? Alice couldn't even remember. Why would he bring that up?

"Great, I'll take that as a yes." Peter responded, grabbing her hand. They flew into the refreshing night air. Peter, laughing, grabbed both of Alice's hands in his and spun her in a circle.

"Dancing sure is weird." He remarked. "But I can kinda see why the Mainlanders like it."  
"Mainlanders?" Alice stopped flying and froze. "Is that what you call us? Then where… where do you come from?"

"From Neverland." Peter responded. "It's a wonderful place, with pirates, mermaids, adventures…"

"Adventures." Alice breathed. She hadn't been on an adventure in ages. "Then what are we waiting for?" she said suddenly, laughing. "Let's go to Neverland!"  
Peter grinned back at her ecstatic face, his heart melting too like hers had before. Shaking his head to get rid of it, he countered," Are you sure you won't get scared?"  
"Why? Is there reason to be?"

"Oh, yes." Peter said dramatically, sitting cross-legged in the air. Alice followed suit. Peter took one of her hands and held it up in the breeze. Alice shivered.

"There's a pirate so sinister that you can practically feel it in the air." He paused. "His name… is Hook."

"Hook." Alice said it like it was a threat. "Can he hurt me? Can he hurt… you?"

"I'll protect you from the ol' Codfish." Peter said confidently. "But we'd better get going."  
"Oh." Alice sighed. She held Peter's acorn/kiss in her pocket as he took hold of her other hand and off they flew into the twinkling night ahead.


	3. Her Happy Thought

_Part Three: Her Happy Thought_

Alice, skimming the chilly air with her hand held high as they flew, began to tell Peter stories of her life in London.

"Mother wants me to grow up," explained Alice," but I would rather not. I don't want to have to be a lady!" She frowned and crossed her arms, for both the reason that she was upset and to fend off the cold.

"Well, you won't have to worry about any of that in Neverland." Peter snorted. "I'll never grow up either… no one can catch me and make me a man!" He darted off into the air, and Alice, who was much faster than Peter assumed, caught up with him almost immediately.

"Why not?" she asked innocently, her blue eyes wide with curiosity.

Images of his troubled boyhood before Neverland flashed through Peter's head, and he shuddered. Instantly, Alice put a hand on Peter's arm to calm him down, then seemed to realize what she had done and drew back.

Alice let out a sigh of relief, as Peter didn't seem to have noticed. However, the boy _had_ noticed, and he had to bite the inside of his lip to prevent himself from smiling.

As a bright star straight ahead came into view, Alice was irrefutably drawn to it. Her eyes glowed with it's light, a thing that Peter had noticed before when Alice was happy. He wondered if she might have a special talent connected with it, then disregarded the thought. Surely he would have already figured that out.

Alice held her slender hand up to the light. "It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed, turning to face Peter.

Peter inexplicably reddened, but Alice didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were dancing.

"Well, come _on_!" she urged, darting straight into the light.

"Alice, WAIT!" Peter exclaimed.

Alice turned back, her form bathed in the honey-colored light. "Hmm?" she said, slightly bemused.

"Um… never mind."

Peter didn't know exactly what he was going to say, but Alice shot him a funny look and disappeared into the light. Peter, stifling a sigh, followed.

The moment he burst into the crystal-blue skies of Neverland, Peter's eyes probed the horizon for Alice.

"Oh, there you are!" Alice called, waving her hand at the flying boy. Peter traced her voice to the elevated granite rocks just above the mermaid lagoon.

"Alice, don't go anywhere near the water!" Peter cried back, his brazen, boyish nature suddenly all but disappearing as he flew rapidly towards the clump of rocks.

Alice, having more sense then Wendy and the others that had come to Neverland with Peter before, burst off of the rock, her golden-blonde hair fluttering around her face. She abruptly crashed into Peter, and before he could catch her, the mischievous wind threw Alice a couple of yards away. Alice's eyes widened, and she only had time to gasp a quick," Peter, help!" before plummeting to the ground. Alice tried to fly, but her legs felt like concrete.

_Happy thoughts. _

Alice tried to focus, but her sharp mind had momentarily been turned to mush.

_Wonderland. Singing. Neverland. Adventure. _

Her mind hesitated for a moment before adding: _Peter._

That seemed to do the trick, as Alice's rapid descent halted sharply, jolting her. She opened her tightly squeezed-shut eyes and saw that she was hovering exactly a meter from the ground. _My happy thought saved me? Peter saved me?_

Peter, who had been horrified (though he'd never admit it) by Alice's near-death experience and his inability to prevent it was also slightly befuddled. All of the girls that he had brought to Neverland before Alice tended to need to be saved by him, but Alice possessed courage and intelligence to rival his own!

Peter floated down to land softly on the grass next to her. "Are you okay, Alice?" he asked, waving his hand in front of the girl's face.

"I am now." Alice grinned. "Happy thoughts really can save you." She looked away.

Peter, wondering what in the world the happy thought could be, shrugged brusquely and said," Hey, do you want to see the Lost Boys?"  
"The Lost Boys?" Alice echoed, raising an eyebrow. "How did they end up here?"  
"They fell out of their cribs and were left alone for one week, so I took them here!" he responded. "Girls are much to clever too fall." He added after seeing Alice's look of disdain.

"Peter, I think that it's perfectly lovely the way that you talk about gi-"

Peter cut her off by quickly putting his hand over her mouth to muffle her voice. Alice, annoyed, batted away Peter's hand and glanced around. She almost gasped at what she saw.

"Why, it's a pirate aboard a little vessel!" Alice whispered into his ear. "Is this the dangerous one that you were referring to?" She eyed the pirate with icy hatred.

"Yes." Peter replied shortly and just as quietly, his eyes pleading with Alice to hide. Alice stubbornly shook her head no. She would stay with Peter and fight if need be.

Peter, sighing, couldn't help but admire Alice's bravery, but somewhere deep inside he knew that she didn't want him to get hurt just as much as he didn't want her to be hurt.

Peter, giving Alice a nod, slid a small, sharp dagger out from his pocket. It's tip gleamed in the sun. Alice grabbed a sharp twig from the ground and held it in one hand, squeezing it to make sure that it was still there. She felt an odd sense of empathy for Peter, who had to be valiant and bold all of the time.

"Peter, I think that I should like to give you a…"

That was when the pirate captain burst through the undergrowth.


End file.
